Bergenia plant named &#39;Spring Fling&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Bergenia  plant characterized by numerous inflorescences flowering at about the same height, large, deep pink flowers, clean, shiny and dark red brown winter leaves, and excellent vigor.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

Bergenia hybrid

VARIETY DESIGNATION

‘Spring Fling’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Bergenia hybrid and given the cultivar name of ‘Spring Fling’. Bergenia is in the family Saxifragaceae. The new cultivar originated from a planned breeding program to create outstanding garden Bergenia. The new cultivar was created from controlled crosses using proprietary parents. The exact parents were not recorded and are unknown.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This new Bergenia is unique in having:

1. numerous inflorescences flowering at about the same height,

2. large, deep pink flowers,

3. clean, shiny and dark red brown winter leaves, and

4. excellent vigor.

Compared to Bergenia ‘Bressingham Ruby’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,344, the new cultivar has larger flowers, smaller leaves, more crowns and more flowering stems with shorter flower stalks.

Compared to Bergenia ‘Rotblum’, an unpatented plant, has larger flowers, smaller leaves, more crowns and more flowering stems that are more upright.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may change with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a 9 month old Bergenia ‘Spring Fling’ in February in the trial gardens in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows the same plant in late April.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Bergenia based on observations of nine-month-old specimens grown in the ground in full sun in the trial fields in late April in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 3 to 9.         -   Size.—51 cm wide and 34 cm tall without flowers, 44 cm tall             with flowers.         -   Form.—clumping.         -   # crowns.—about 50.         -   Vigor.—excellent         -   Roots.—fibrous network, White 155A, -   Leaf:     -   -   Arrangement.—rosette.         -   Number.—about 8 per rosette.         -   Type.—simple.         -   Shape.—obovate.         -   Blade size.—grows to 17 cm long and 10.5 cm wide.         -   Margins.—denticulate.         -   Apex.—obtuse.         -   Base.—attenuate.         -   Venation.—pinnate         -   Surface texture.—glabrous on both surfaces.         -   Petiole description.—grows to 20 cm long and 2.5 cm wide,             glabrous, base sheathing, sheath ligulate and spreading to             2.5 mm wide at base, Yellow Green 145A strongly tinted             Greyed Purple 185A in sun.         -   Color.—late spring and summer topside Green 137A with margin             edged Greyed Purple 185A and with main vein and largest             lateral veins Yellow Green 145D, bottom side Yellow Green             147B with veins tinted Greyed Purple 185A; winter and early             spring leaves topside between Greyed Purple 187A and Brown             200A with largest veins Greyed Purple 185A to Yellow Green             145B where shaded, bottom side Greyed Purple 187B. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—scapose cyme.         -   Number of cymes.—about 13.         -   Number of flowers per scape.—to about 80.         -   Size of inflorescence.—grows to 18 cm long and 14 cm wide.         -   Peduncle.—grows to 31 cm tall and 12 mm wide, glabrous on             bottom half to glandular near top, Yellow Green 145C in             shade and Red Purple 185A in sun.         -   Pedicel.—grows 4 mm to 15 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, glossy and             glandular, Greyed Purple 187A. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—7 mm long and 5 mm wide.         -   Shape.—ovoid.         -   Surface.—glabrous.         -   Color.—Greyed Purple 185B. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—bisexual.         -   Size.—grows to 20 mm long and 35 mm wide.         -   Corolla description.—grows to 20 mm long and 35 mm wide,             bell-shaped, glabrous inside and out; petals, 5 to 6 in             number, grow to 20 mm long and 12 mm wide, orbicular to             obovate, margin entire, tip obtuse, base attenuate, glabrous             on both sides, topside Red Purple 71A, bottom side 72C.         -   Calyx description.—8 mm long and 9 mm wide, campanulate, 5             lobes each 5 mm long and 3 mm wide, not overlapping, oblong,             margin entire, tips obtuse, sparsely glandular outside,             glabrous inside, color inside and outside Greyed Purple 185B             at base and Brown 200C on lobes.         -   Pistil description.—2 to 3, fused at base, Greyed Red 181A             overall, each 11 mm long and 2.5 mm wide, ovary oval, 3 mm             long and 2.5 mm wide; style 5 mm long and 1.5 mm wide,             stigma 1 to 2 mm wide.         -   Stamen description.—10 in number, mm long, filaments 9 mm             long, Red Purple 61A, anthers 1 mm long, Yellow White 158A;             pollen White 155A.         -   Bloom period.—April in Canby, Oreg.         -   Lastingness of bloom.—each flower lasts about a week.         -   Fragrance.—none. -   Fruit: none seen. -   Seed: none seen -   Pest and diseases: Pest and disease resistance are typical for this     type of Bergenia. No known resistances. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Bergenia plant as herein illustrated and described. 